2001 Board of Directors Alumni Award

The Phi Theta Kappa Board of Directors Alumni Award is presented annually to an alumnus in recognition of his or her serve contributions in support of the Society's membership on the local, national and international levels.

The 2001 Board of Directors Alumni Award recipient is Norma Kent, Director of Communications of the American Association of Community Colleges in Washington, D.C.

Norma Kent has been promoting the cause of community colleges for more than a decade. As Director of Communications for the American Association of Community Colleges, she serves as executive editor of national periodicals including the Community College Times and the Community College Journal, as well books published under the aegis of the Community College Press, a division of AACC. As a key media spokesperson for the association, she interacts with media at local, regional, and national levels, promoting awareness of community college issues and achievements.

Prior to joining AACC in 1994, she served as media relations manager for the Dallas County Community College District, where she was named Innovator of the Year for her public relations efforts. She is a past board member of the American Association of Women in Community Colleges, a member of the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations, and currently serves on the Community College Advisory Panel of The College Board.

Kent began her affiliation with community colleges at Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas, where she earned her associate degree in journalism and was inducted into the Eta Iota Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. She earned her bachelor's degree from West Texas State University, and later pursued graduate studies at the University of North Florida. In addition to work in the educational field, she has extensive marketing experience in the for-profit sector and has worked as account executive, principal and owner in marketing and public relations agencies in California, Florida, and Texas. She also directed priority fund-raising campaigns for the San Diego Zoo.